List of people executed in the Papal States

This is a list of people executed in the Papal States under the government of the Popes or during the 1810–1819 decade of French rule. Although capital punishment in Vatican City was legal from 1929 to 1969, no executions took place in that time. This list does not include people executed by other authorities of the Roman Catholic Church or those executed by Inquisitions other than the Roman Inquisition, or those killed in wars involving the Papal States, or those killed extrajudicially.

Most executions were related to the punishment of civil crimes committed within the Papal States, with the condemned convicted within the civil courts of the Papal States; for example, in 1585, Pope Sixtus V initiated a "zero tolerance" crackdown on crime, which according to legend resulted in more severed heads collected on the Castel Sant'Angelo bridge than melons in the Roman markets.[1] The best records are from the tenure of Giovanni Battista Bugatti, the executioner of the Papal States between March 22, 1796 and August 17, 1861, who recorded the name of the condemned, the crime, and the location of the execution for each of the 516 "justices" he performed for the governments, papal or French.[1] Bugatti's list ends: "So ends the long list of Bugatti. May that of his successor be shorter".[2]

Before 1816, the most common methods of execution were the axe and noose (with burning at the stake used in high profile instances); after 1816, the guillotine (installed by the French during their control of Rome) became the norm.[1] However, after 1816, two other methods—the mazzatello (crushing of the head with a large mallet, followed by a cutting of the throat) and drawing and quartering (sometimes, but not always, after a hanging)—continued to be used for crimes that were considered "especially loathsome".[1]

Alessandro d'Andrea, hanged at the Ponte Sant'Angelo, convicted of the theft of a watch (February 1, 1800).

Gio. Batta Genovesi, hanged, quartered and his corpse burnt at the Ponte Sant'Angelo, convicted of stealing two ciboria; his head was, then, taken to the Arch of the Holy Spirit (February, 27 1800).

Gioacchino Lucarelli, Luigi de Angelis, Lorenzo Robotti, Giovanni Rocchi and Antonio Mauro, convicted of strangling and killing a Priest, were hanged and their heads and arms were cut off and displayed at Porta Angelica, and two were burnt at the Ponte Sant'Angelo (May 6, 1800).

Bernardino Bernardi, convicted of the same offence, was hanged and had his head and arms cut off which were, then, displayed at Porta S. Sebastiano (..., 1800).

Santi Moretti, hanged and quartered at the little bridge out of Porta San Paolo by the executioner's helper (1805), convicted of robbery.

Gioacchino, also known as Bernardino Rinaldi, bludgeoned to death and quartered in Campo de' Fiori (October 9, 1805), convicted of the murders of his wife, who was expecting two babies, and of his apprentice.

Paolo Salvati, hanged and quartered in Macerata (December 11, 1805), convicted of robbing a papal messenger and a foreigner.

Giuseppe Chiappa, bludgeoned to death and quartered in Macerata (September 25, 1806), convicted of murder; he was a hired assassin, who had been paid 50 scudi to kill the father of a young man, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Pacifico Maccioni from Cingoli, aged 26, and Filippo Duranti from Golignano, papal legation of Ancona, aged 25, both convicted of robbery and the murder of a Swiss, outside the Porta San Pancrazio, beheaded at the Ponte Sant'Angelo, (August 22, 1840).

Baldassarre Fortunati and Vincenzo Stefanini from Torri in Salina, aged 29, both convicted of murder with the intention of stealing, beheaded in Rieti in the Market place (September 21, 1840).

Angelo De Angelis, Antonio De Angelis, his brother, and Giuseppe De Benedetti, the three of them were beheaded in Tivoli, convicted of murder and robbery (January 13, 1841).

Damiano Marconi, son of Nicola, aged 29, from Capranica and Antonio Demassini, son of the late Pietro, from the Fratta neighbourhood, aged 35 and

Angelo Casini, son of Eugenio, from Carbognano, aged 25; the three of them were incarcerated in the Civitavecchia gaol; they were beheaded, for killing an hospital attendant in the Civitavecchia basin (March 27, 1841).

Pasquale Carbone, son of the late Saverio, aged 40, from Cresciano in Abruzzo, Kingdom of Naples, convicted of a fellow convict's murder in the Civitavecchia basin, beheaded – and died unrepentant – (March 27, 1841).

Bernardino Carosi son of the late Vincenzo, called Scelletta, aged 48: a married man, peasant and sawyer, from Borbone, province of L'Aquila and

Michelina Cimini daughter of the late Antonio, wife of Giuseppe Carosi, aged 35, spinner from Cagnano, in the Kingdom of Naples and

Domenico Recchiuti son of Nicola, called Saponaro, a bachelor from Lama, province of Chieti, woolcarder, the three of them were convicted of larceny and the premeditated murder of Caterina Ichizzi, the six-month pregnant wife of Francesco, the clockmaker in the Vicar's service; beheaded at the Ponte Sant'Angelo, there was extensive popular turmoil and some injured people, because of some thieves and pickpockets, but the three died resignedly (June 28, 1840)

Luigi Percossi, Roman, a convict who was found guilty of the willful murder of Angelo Bruschi, the gaoler; beheaded in Rome in Via dei Cerchi (April 19, 1845).

Francesco Antonio Bassani from Monte Compatri, aged 23, convicted of the willful murder of a fellow convict in the Spoleto stronghold and there executed; the murder had taken place while the convicts were being administered the Holy Communion (July 3, 1845).

Giuseppe Dragoni from S. Anatolia, papal legation of Macerata, beheaded in Spoleto, convicted of the willful murder of the gaoler of the Spoleto stronghold (October 23, 1845).

Niccola Ciarrocca from Massignano, aged 27, convicted of willful murder of a spinster he had impregnated before marriage; beheaded in Massignano sud (October 30, 1845).

Francesco Meloni son of the late Pietro, born in the Scarpa neighbourhood, a 34-year-old goatherd, convicted of his wife's murder by strangulation; sentenced to an exemplary death[5] (January 15, 1846).

Fedele Moretta and his brother Benedetto Moretta, convicted of robberies, murders and other felonies; beheaded in Frosinone (March 4, 1846).

Francesco Sciarra son of the late Francesco, from Ienna diocese of Subiaco, aged 24, convicted of robberies and murders; beheaded in Via dei Cerchi (March 21, 1846).

Michele Pezzana called Mechelone, from Poggio Renatico, convicted of premeditated premeditato, convict in the Spoleto stronghold and there beheaded (November 26, 1846)

Pecorari Angel, convicted of homicide in Poland, sent to Rome for execution (January 21, 1847)[2]

Romolo Salvatori from Cisterna, aged 40, convicted of having the Archpriest of Giulianello in Anagni shot by the Garibaldini during the Republican period; beheaded in Giulianello di Anagni (September 10, 1851).

Bonaventura Stefanini, Benvenuto Cavalieri and Pietro Ventroni, the three of them were beheaded on the main plaza of Fabriano, convicted of a priest's attempted premeditated murder (November 15, 1851).

Pietro Giammaiere called Casciotta, from Terni, domiciled in S. Gemini, district of Terni, papal legation of Spoleto, convicted of murder and robbery and beheaded in the main plaza of Spoleto (September 25, 1852).

Gustavo Paolo Epaminonda Rambelli, a 28-year-old from Ravenna, Gustavo Marioni, a 29-year-old from Forlì and Ignazio Mancini, a 30-year-old from Ascoli, all former customs officers; the three of them were convicted of the murders of many friars, under the orders of the extremely cruel (sic) Captain[6] Zambianchì ; beheaded at Cerchi, they died unrepentant, scandalizing the onlookers, because they kept on blaspheming until they breathed their last (July 22, 1854).

Benedetto Ferri from Casali di Viterbo, convicted of robbery and sentenced to death in Viterbo (June 30, 1855).

Salvatore Tarnalli from Casali di Viterbo, convicted of robbery and sentenced to death in Viterbo (June 30, 1855).

Antonio son of the late Ferdinando De Felici, Roman, a 35-year-old chaplain, convicted of attempt on the life of Cardinal Antonelli, Secretary of State, and sentenced to death Via dei Cerchi (July 11, 1855).

Pietro Ciprini from Viterbo, aged 19, convicted of robbery and sentenced to death in Monte Rosi (August 7, 1855).

Giacomo Salvatori from Valle Pietra, diocese of Subiaco, convicted of murder and sentenced to an exemplary death in Subiaco[5] (August 17, 1855).

Vincenzo Vendetta, Antonio di Giacomo, Luigi Nardini, Valentino Antonio son of Giacomo, and Antonio Vendeta, all from Velletri, convicted of robberies and murders; they died in Velletri (October 29, 1859).